Fact or Fiction?

I wasn't always a dog lover. I had a cat (Lenny Kravitz) when G and I met. I loved my cat and I really thought that was the most amount of love I could ever feel for a "pet". I cried for days when I gave him to my friend - G was highly allergic. Don't even start...it was either Lenny or my future husband. And then Robbie came into our lives. The little monster changed everything. I have become a Dogoholic. My love is borderline obsessive. I used to think people kissing their dogs on the mouth or allowing their dogs to lick their face was down right disgusting. Well, Robbie learned the command "Kiss" before "Sit". He knows the power of a kiss too. When he wants a treat or his ball, I get a kiss. When he does something wrong and I yell at him, he tries to kiss me. He loves the taste of my face lotion. And I'm ashamed to admit it but sometimes, I will let him taste (lick) things, like a pretzel or a carrot, and if he doesn't want it, I still eat it. I know! It's so gross! Anyway, G and I have different opinions regarding kissing the dog and we always discuss why I allow/encourage Robbie to kiss me on the lips. And I always say that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human’s. Haven't you heard that too? I'm not exactly sure who told me or where I read it but it's the perfect excuse for my ridiculous behavior. Well, I really wanted to know, is a dog's mouth cleaner than a human’s? So, today I did some research.

Bacteria in the mouth of a dog are species specific, meaning that most canine diseases, with the exception of rabies, do not generally affect humans. HOWEVER, dogs use their mouths like people use their hands so the bacteria counts in their mouths can be very high. We shake hands when we say hello while dogs give each other a peck on the rear end. A dog's tongue is not only his wash cloth but also his toilet paper. Wow.... And when he's outside, even when you watch him, he still may lick fecal material from other dogs. According to most Veterinarians, your dog could have a nice selection of harmful bacteria cultivating within his mouth. So after sampling the world with his tongue, it's not a good idea to let your dog give you saliva and bacteria smeared kisses.

After thinking about everything I've read today, I know I have to make some changes.

G is laughing.